PALO ALTO — An Ohlone Elementary School teacher charged with sexually abusing a child more than a decade ago was living with the girl and a relative when the alleged abuse took place, court records show.

Michael Christopher Airo, 34, of San Mateo, is facing one count of “continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14” and three counts of “lewd or lascivious acts on a child,” according to a felony complaint filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Dec. 28, 2015.

The alleged abuse took place between Dec. 9, 2002, when the girl was 11 years old, and Dec. 8, 2005, court records show.

The California Department of Justice notified the Palo Alto Unified School District of the charges on Thursday morning.

The district immediately placed Airo, now a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Ohlone, on “unpaid compulsory leave” and launched dismissal proceedings, said Superintendent Glenn “Max” McGee.

“We live in America, you are innocent until proven guilty,” McGee said. “But reading the details of this investigation, I could not by any stretch of the imagination have any child in this individual’s class. There certainly is enough detail there that warrants dismissal.”

Airo met a relative of the girl in 1999 while he was working as an aide at an after-school program at the school where the girl was a student, police said in a news release Friday.

Airo started dating the girl’s relative and eventually moved in with the family, according to police.

The alleged victim, now 22, told police that Airo would walk into the bathroom while she was showering and kiss her naked body, court records show.

“She said she had never had a male figure show her affection in such a manner and even though she felt uncomfortable about Airo’s behavior, she was even more uncomfortable about asking him to stop or telling someone else about what was happening,” Detective Agent Joel Hornung wrote in a police report.

On three or four occasions, another young female family member told police she saw Airo walk into the bathroom while the other girl was showering and confronted him about it, court records show.

She “told me that Airo each time would claim he had to go to the bathroom, wash his hands, brush his teeth or use some other excuse,” Hornung wrote.

Airo and the girl’s relative broke up in October 2007, court records show. But the alleged abuse didn’t come to light until she told a psychologist about it in May 2014, according to police.

Police said they are not aware of any other possible victims.

A warrant was issued for Airo’s arrest on Jan. 6, but he self-surrendered at the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose on Wednesday and immediately posted $500,000 bail, according to police.

A message left for Airo was not immediately returned Friday.

Airo started teaching in the district in 2008 and worked as a third-grade teacher at Juana Briones Elementary School for a year before transferring to Ohlone. He was “really liked” by his students, McGee said.

Yiyi Zeng, whose son is in the third grade at Ohlone, said she did not interact with Airo but had heard other parents speak highly of him.

“I was looking forward to my son having him as a teacher,” Zeng said.

Zeng said she thought parts of McGee’s letter to the community was “over the top” in tone and language, considering Airo has not been convicted.

But she added more students could come forward, especially since court records show that another parent had complained of Airo’s attentiveness toward female students while he was an aide.

“From a parent’s point of view, I appreciate Superintendent McGee’s seriousness toward the matter to protect students,” Zeng said.

Like Zeng, Dinneny said he wonders whether more parents had complained against Airo when he was a private caregiver and if anything was done then and whether the district fully vetted Airo before hiring him as a teacher.

In a statement Friday, the Palo Alto Educators Association said it supported the district’s decision to place Airo on leave.

“As educators, student safety and their physical and emotional well-being is our first priority,” the statement said. “Our hearts go out to the families on both sides and hope for a fair and just resolution.”

According to Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero, Airo could face up to 40 years in prison if he is convicted of the charges.

“It’s an open investigation and we’ll have to see whether anything comes back as a result of the general inquiries that were made,” said Lamiero, referring to a letter McGee sent to parents, faculty and staff asking that any other possible victims contact the district and police.

Counselors were on hand at the two schools on Friday to talk with students and offer support.

Airo is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 16.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the city’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413.

PALO ALTO — An Ohlone Elementary School teacher charged with sexually abusing a child more than a decade ago was living with the girl and a relative when the alleged abuse took place, court records show.

Michael Christopher Airo, 34, of San Mateo, is facing one count of “continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14” and three counts of “lewd or lascivious acts on a child,” according to a felony complaint filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Dec. 28, 2015.

The alleged abuse took place between Dec. 9, 2002, when the girl was 11 years old, and Dec. 8, 2005, court records show.

The California Department of Justice notified the Palo Alto Unified School District of the charges on Thursday morning.

The district immediately placed Airo, now a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Ohlone, on “unpaid compulsory leave” and launched dismissal proceedings, said Superintendent Glenn “Max” McGee.

“We live in America, you are innocent until proven guilty,” McGee said. “But reading the details of this investigation, I could not by any stretch of the imagination have any child in this individual’s class. There certainly is enough detail there that warrants dismissal.”

Airo met a relative of the girl in 1999 while he was working as an aide at an after-school program at the school where the girl was a student, police said in a news release Friday.

Airo started dating the girl’s relative and eventually moved in with the family, according to police.

The alleged victim, now 22, told police that Airo would walk into the bathroom while she was showering and kiss her naked body, court records show.

“She said she had never had a male figure show her affection in such a manner and even though she felt uncomfortable about Airo’s behavior, she was even more uncomfortable about asking him to stop or telling someone else about what was happening,” Detective Agent Joel Hornung wrote in a police report.

On three or four occasions, another young female family member told police she saw Airo walk into the bathroom while the other girl was showering and confronted him about it, court records show.

She “told me that Airo each time would claim he had to go to the bathroom, wash his hands, brush his teeth or use some other excuse,” Hornung wrote.

Airo and the girl’s relative broke up in October 2007, court records show. But the alleged abuse didn’t come to light until she told a psychologist about it in May 2014, according to police.

Police said they are not aware of any other possible victims.

A warrant was issued for Airo’s arrest on Jan. 6, but he self-surrendered at the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose on Wednesday and immediately posted $500,000 bail, according to police.

A message left for Airo was not immediately returned Friday.

Airo started teaching in the district in 2008 and worked as a third-grade teacher at Juana Briones Elementary School for a year before transferring to Ohlone. He was “really liked” by his students, McGee said.

Yiyi Zeng, whose son is in the third grade at Ohlone, said she did not interact with Airo but had heard other parents speak highly of him.

“I was looking forward to my son having him as a teacher,” Zeng said.

Zeng said she thought parts of McGee’s letter to the community was “over the top” in tone and language, considering Airo has not been convicted.

But she added more students could come forward, especially since court records show that another parent had complained of Airo’s attentiveness toward female students while he was an aide.

“From a parent’s point of view, I appreciate Superintendent McGee’s seriousness toward the matter to protect students,” Zeng said.

Like Zeng, Dinneny said he wonders whether more parents had complained against Airo when he was a private caregiver and if anything was done then and whether the district fully vetted Airo before hiring him as a teacher.

In a statement Friday, the Palo Alto Educators Association said it supported the district’s decision to place Airo on leave.

“As educators, student safety and their physical and emotional well-being is our first priority,” the statement said. “Our hearts go out to the families on both sides and hope for a fair and just resolution.”

According to Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero, Airo could face up to 40 years in prison if he is convicted of the charges.

“It’s an open investigation and we’ll have to see whether anything comes back as a result of the general inquiries that were made,” said Lamiero, referring to a letter McGee sent to parents, faculty and staff asking that any other possible victims contact the district and police.

Counselors were on hand at the two schools on Friday to talk with students and offer support.

Airo is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 16.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the city’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413.